


Homestuck Drabbles

by NyanzoYiffmada



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Animal Death, Blood and Gore, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Gen, Hemospectrum Shift, M/M, Multi, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Smoking, bloodswap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2020-12-21 10:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21073220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NyanzoYiffmada/pseuds/NyanzoYiffmada
Summary: ch.1: King Crab (Bloodswap, Eridan & Karkat)ch.2: Where There's Smoke (Cronus & Kankri)ch.3: Under Fire (Eridan <> Karkat)ch.4: Get Shreked (MSPA Reader & Eridan <> John)ch.5: High Tide (Feferi centric, Eridan <> Karkat)ch.6: Mirror, Mirror (Eridan & Eridan)ch.7: Make Him Pay (POV swap, Vriska & Karkat)ch.8: Snap (Cronus <3 Kankri)ch.9: Scarborough Fair (Bloodswap Signless <3 Dualscar)ch.10: Living Dead Boy (Karkat & Aradia <3 Sollux)





	1. King Crab (Bloodswap Eridan & Karkat)

_ Your name is Karkat Vantas and you have pan rot, you’re almost absolutely sure because there’s no other explanation for why you’d do something so stupid as to willingly put yourself through the torture of talking to people who hate your guts but just so happen to not know it. One such person is trolling you right now.  _

callousArtisan [CA] began trolling  cantankerousGeneral [CG]

CA: look all im sayin is the heirs stupid drones arent infallible

CA: wwe cant count on sols help because hes part of the problem but if wwe could convvince eq to help or get nep to convvince him for us hed be defenseless 

_ Your rub your eyes with the heel of your palms and glare at the screen of your husktop. For all intents and purposes, you should have Eridan culled and god would it be easy. The idiot wears his bright ass mutant blood color like a badge of pride and openly talks about starting a revolution....okay maybe not so much that last part, you’re pretty sure he only talks about that stuff to your, Feferi, and Vriska, the last two being his moirail and kismesis in that order. Still, though, he’s practically cullbait and it is within your right and yet….the thought of Eridan lying dead in his own cherry-red blood makes you feel ill. Trollian pings at you;  _

CA: are you still there k 

_ Right, you should probably actually talk to the guy instead of spacing.  _

CG: I'M HERE CALM THE HELL DOWN.

CG: I WAS JUST TAKING A MOMENT TO PROCESS HOW UNBELIEVABLY DENSE YOU CAN BE AT TIMES, LIKE HOLY SHIT DUDE.

CG: DO YOU REALLY THINK IT'S THAT EASY?

CA: wwell

CG: 'WWELL' NOTHING.

CG: LETS SAY YOU DO MANAGE TO SOMEHOW TAKE OUT THE METRIC FUCKTON OF DRONES HE HAS AT HIS DISPOSAL, YOU SEEM TO BE FORGETTING THAT PRACTICALLY EVERY TROLL ON ALTERNIA IS HARD WIRED TO LICK THE GROUND CLEAN BEFORE HE CAN PUT ONE DAINTY STRUTPOD ON IT.

CG: ON THE OFF CHANCE YOU DO MANAGE TO GET AN ACTUAL REBELLION GOING, IT'LL BE YOU AGAINST EVERY OTHER PERSON ON THIS BULGE FESTERING PLANET AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW HOW WELL THAT WENT FOR ENGINEER DARKLEER.

_ You chew nervously at your claws, raking your eyes over every sentence to see if you’d maybe said too much or accidentally worded something in a way that would give you away. You really shouldn’t care this much about whether or not some nookwhiff you’ll likely never actually meet likes you but god you can’t...you can’t go back to being all alone on the pedestal your society has put you on.  _

CA: this wwont be like engineer darkleer though

CA: im not stupid enough to be tricked into settin aside my army for a dual

CA: i still cant believve he wwas stupid enough to go through wwith it wwhat the fuck do highbloods knoww about honor anywway

CG: KANAYA?

CA: shes different

_ You’re going to scream, or maybe cry, or both. Both seem very likely with the way your pusher is pounding away in your chest, frustration curling in your gut with other feelings you’d rather not give attention to. You ultimately decide you’ve tortured yourself enough today and quickly change the topic.  _

CG: HOW ARE THINGS WITH FEFERI? 

_ Trollian goes painfully quiet for a few minutes and for a brief tick you think you might have made a terrible mistake before he finally answers.  _

CA: okay

CG: OKAY?

CA: i mean yeah its been okay

_ You glare at the red text and sigh. _

CG: YOU DIDN’T TELL HER ABOUT YOUR RED FEELINGS DID YOU?

CA: i did took her on a date and evverythin but she just thought it wwas another one of our pale hangouts

CG: TELLING SOMEONE HOW YOU FEEL AND TAKING THEM ON A SURPRISE FLUSH DATE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS!

CG: NO WONDER SHE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ANOTHER PALE THING, YOU TOTALLY LEFT YOUR INTENTIONS AMBIGUOUS, DUDE. 

CA: howw is takin someone out to dinner and a movvie passable for a pale date

CA: wwait

CA: fuck

_ Luckily for Eridan, you happen to be a romantic expert and while you know he’s just going to ignore all your advice and come crying back to you about how painfully flushed he is for his diamond, you can’t really find it in yourself to mind. It totally  _ ** _does not_ ** _ have anything to do with the fact that you actually enjoy talking to Eridan, even if he can be a little annoying at times.  _

_ The conversation continues like this for a while, a soothing calm laying over you as you settle into your conversational comfort zone. After a while, the conversation starts to lul which is of course when the universe, and Eridan, decide to throw you a curveball.  _

CA: hey k

CG: YEAH?

CA: you knoww you can trust me right

_ Oh. Oh no. Oh hell fucking no. You can already tell where this is going and you will not have it.  _

CG: OF COURSE I DO, MAN.

CG: LOOK, I HAVE TO GO FEED MY LUSUS.

CG: I’LL TALK TO YOU LATER.

  
  


cantankerousGeneral [CG] has stopped trolling  callousArtisan [CA]

_ You slam your husktop shut a little harder than you mean to and curl in on yourself. You hate this, you hate all of it; lying to almost all your friends, keeping everyone at arm’s length and then some. You could tell them, you  _ ** _should_ ** _ tell them after all none of them have tried to cull Eridan despite his blood color but you’re different. You’re not some poor unfortunate troll who’s blood decided to drop right off the spectrum, you’re the goddamn heir. You can almost guarantee that any of them that didn’t avoid you completely would suddenly start kissing up to you either to keep you from culling them or to gain something out of it.  _

_ You bask in self-pity for a few minutes longer before uncurling and getting up. You weren’t technically lying when you said you needed to feed your lusus; Gl'bgolyb is almost always hungry. _


	2. Where There's Smoke (Cronus & Kankri)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Cronus Ampora and you might not know Kankri as well as you thought you did

_ Your name is Cronus Ampora and you’re getting real sick and tired of your so-called “friends”. This is the third time this week Mituna has run off to cry to Kurloz after starting a fight and the third time this week Kurloz has used his stupid chucklevoodoos to make a fool of yourself. Personally, you’ll take being forced to take a swan dive into the lake over ramming headfirst into the nearest building again, your horns might actually snap this time if he decides to have you run full speed. Your little impromptu swim, however, has not only left your normally slicked hair a mess, but it has also robbed you of your signature cigarette.  _

_ You reach into your sylladex for the pack you keep on you for just such an event only to find it missing. Again. You growl in frustration and run your fingers through your hair; much like your fights with Captor, this has also become frustratingly frequent. You know you put them in your sylladex, you distinctly remember doing it, and yet when you go to grab it, it’s gone. The first time it happened, you shrugged it off as you just thinking you had, but then it happened a second time, and a third, and now today. With a growl, you shove your hand in your pockets and start walking back to your hive. It’s possibly Kurloz made you drop them but why would he bother with something so small? Not to mention you can remember all the other embarrassing shit he’s made you do, so it wouldn’t make sense that you’d forget dropping your pack.  _

_ Your hive is in sight when you hear it, a constant and consistent tapping of someone’s heel. You really should leave it alone, your hive is right there and you’d like to get out of your wet clothes, but you’re brash attitude and infamously short temper get the better of you. You make a sharp turn to where the sound is coming from with a snarl, stomping all the while. It turns out the tapping is coming from none other than one Kankri Vantas, who’s standing with his back to you while he taps away at the stone path with one of his ridiculously high stiletto heels. He’s leaning against a tree and without his bright red sweater, which should really catch your attention but at this point, you can practically feel the tapping in your skull.  _

“For the lovwe of fuck, Vwantas vwould you quit it vwith the tapping!?”  _ you snarl as you grab his shoulder. You are rewarded with a backhand that makes you stumble back and leaves you utterly shocked. In Kankri’s defense, you know he doesn’t like to be touched without permission and you had just aggressively invaded his space. You take a minute to breathe and refocus before looking at him to apologize only for the words to catch on your tongue.  _

_ Between Kankri’s fingers is one of your cigarettes and it’s lit. You look at the cigarette then at him and shutter; if looks could kill you’re pretty sure you’d be double dead. You’ve seen Kankri glare before, in fact, you’re pretty sure glaring is just the natural Vantas face state considering what you’ve seen of his dancestor, but the one he’s currently giving you makes you feel like he’s considering all the ways he can gut you and get away with it. After an agonizingly long moment, he sniffs and his glare lessons to a frown as he looks away from you and takes a drag from the cigarette.  _

“Ap9l9gies, Cr9nus, I sh9uldn't have lashed 9ut at y9u like that. H9wever, y9u sh9uld kn9w 6etter than t9 enter my pers9nal space uninvited, let al9ne t9uch me.”  _ You gape for a moment, trying to look for what to say. A part of you says to take the apology and leave while you still can, but you’ve never been good at leaving things alone. _

“Vwhy do you havwe my cigs, chief?” _ you finally manage to choke out after a minute. He gives you a look you know all to well, the look of someone who’s been caught, before quickly looking aloof.  _

“And why pray tell, w9uld y9u assume that I have y9ur cigarettes, Cr9nus?”  _ It’s a weak deflection and he knows it if the way he refuses to meet your eyes as he takes another drag is any indication.  _

“The filter paper is vwiolet not orange.”

“It l99ks m9re lavender t9 me.”

“Kankri-” _ He cuts you off by sucking his teeth, the tapping that he’d stopped after you grabbed him returning with a vengeance.  _

“Why d9es it matter, y9u d9n't actually sm9ke them and it's n9t like y9u d9n't have m9re.”  _ he snaps back. This whole thing has you feeling just a little out of sorts. You’re so used to, well,  _ ** _Kankri_ ** _ ; mister ‘tag your breathing you might trigger people who can’t’. Don’t get you wrong, Kankri is one of the few people you know that you can still mostly stand even if he talks out of his ass, but this...this feels so out of character for him and yet you have to wonder if the other version is just that; a character he plays.  _

“Smoking ain’t good for you, chief.” _ you blurt out without thinking. He stares at you for a moment, then two, before suddenly bursting into mirthless laughter.  _

“I...y9u..,”  _ he tosses the butt of the cigarette to the ground and pulls out the stolen pack to grab a new one, lighting up in one practiced motion before putting it all away again.  _

_ “ _ Y9u can't 6e seri9us right n9w, Cr9nus. Are y9u  **really** chastising me f9r d9ing s9mething unhealthy?  **Y9u ** 9f all pe9ple? What d9es it even matter, we're dead anyway and if I d9 s9meh9w manage t9 die again we 69th kn9w I w9n't 6e missed.”  _ The last part is quiet and filled with something gnarled and hurting and very, very familiar in a way that makes your heart ache.  _

“Come on, kanny, dont...dont say stuff like that. Porrim-”

“Is practically my culler at 6est, an unc9nsented m9irail at w9rse.”  _ You...you couldn’t really argue that. While one could argue that Porrim was Kankri’s only friend, she complained about him just as much as everyone else and has never defended him against her other friends, at least not when you’ve been around. She’s just as forceful as him when she sets her mind to something, Kankri’s sweater being proof of that.  _

“I care…”  _ It comes out quieter than you intend, almost wounded sounding. An emotion you can’t quite place fashes over Kankri’s face before he looks away again.  _

_ You both stand there in silence save for Kankri’s constant tapping. You look at him, really look at him this time, and notice some of the little things you didn’t before like the heavy bags under his eyes and the way he curls in on himself.  _

“...hovwd you get my cigs, anyvway?” _ you ask finally, sticking your hands in your pockets only to remember why you were heading home in the first place and take them out. He looks at you from under his lashes and the faintest tinge of red colors his cheeks.  _

“Every sylladex has a 6ack d99r 9f s9rts in case the user manages t9 get l9cked 9ut and the 6ack d99r is shared 6y similar types 9f sylladexes.”  _ He tries to shrug it off like he didn’t just admit that he could probably get into anyone’s sylladex if he really wanted. You’re pretty sure your brows are lost somewhere in your hairline because something like that you would expect from Meenah or maybe Mituna and you’re suddenly left wondering just how much of Kankri do you really know. _

_ You chew on your lip for a moment as silence falls between you again. You really should head back and change out of your damp clothes and you get the feeling Kankri was hiding off in this little corner for a reason and yet...you don’t really want to go. Just as you’re about to excuse yourself, Kankri sighs and snubs out the cigarette stub before grabbing your wrist and tugging you in the direction of your hive.  _

_ “H9nestly, Cr9nus. Y9u chastise me while standing ar9und in damp cl9thes; if 9ne 9f us is g9ing t9 get sick, it's y9u.” His words are curt, a little harsh, but his grip is anything but. You can’t help the small smile that tugs on your lips. _

“Sorry chief, ill try to be more mindful next time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which the author flexes her "Kankri's not a Soft BoiTM" muscles with some headcanons


	3. Under Fire (Eridan <> Karkat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Eridan Ampora and someone is in your land.

_ Your name is Eridan Ampora and someone is in your land. You know someone else has entered your land because the angels have suddenly become extra agitated, flying in a frenzy around you. You grit your teeth and fire, managing to strike two at once and making a hole in the wall of feathery assholes for you to run through; whoever it is likely has no idea just what they’re up against and if it happens to be Fef… _

_ You run a little faster; you know Fef can take care of herself but you’re worried all the same. It’s not to hard to find where the disturbance is as the angels are circling which is...strange to say the least. Once a little closer you finally see what they’re circling over; Karkat. He looks relatively unharmed though thoroughly shaken, sickles in his hands and at the ready and eyes to the sky.  _

“Kar?!” 

_ The smaller troll immediately turns his attention to you and lets out a sigh of relief before making a beeline for you. One of the angels breaks from the circle and dives for him but you shoot it down, it’s body landing with a thump between you.  _

“For the love of fuck!”  _ Karkat skids to a stop in front of the body and backs up a little. You don’t blame him, angels aren’t exactly pretty to look at, dead or otherwise.  _

“What is wrong with your world, Ampora!?” 

_ You can’t help the smile of amusement and validation that pulls at the corner of your mouth.  _

“I told you it wwas bad Kar but no one evver believves me,”  _ you huff, crossing your arms.  _

“Oh trust me, we believe you, why do you think we avoid your planet like the plague?”  _ Karkat rubs his eyes warily before looking up at the circling angels again. Despite your better judgment you mostly ignore the monstrosities above you in favor of the troll in front of you. _

“Then wwhy are you here?”  _ While you are rather elated that someone has finally come to see you, Karkat especially, you can’t help but be suspicious.  _

“Sollux-”

“For fuck’s sake!”  _ You throw your hands up, or at least some weird attempt of it considering the weapon in said hands, before turning to walk away. Of course Sol goes and tattles to Kar. You don’t make it very far as the smaller troll grabs your scarf and tugs you back. You let out a choked startled noise and glare at him.  _

“Oh no, don’t you walk away from me you caped dandy! This is getting rediculous Eridan; you keep challenging him to your so-called ‘duals’ and when you lose you run back here to fuck up your denizens some more before starting the cycle over again. You’re wasting everyone’s time with this grubish hoofbeast shit.”

_ You bite back a snarl, ears pinned back at Karkat’s words. That’s why you’ve been mostly keeping to yourself! You’re just a waste of space, a waste of time- _

“It’s clear you can’t fucking handle working shit out on your own so from now on you’re going to stick with me!”

_ -waste of-Wait, what did he just say?! _

“Kar, did you just...you knoww wwhat the sounds like, right..?”  _ You do your best not to get hopeful, Kar has no pan-to-mouth filter and tends to say things without considering how they might be taken all the time. You start to see some color on his cheeks but he lets go of your scarf and turns around before you can see what color it is.  _

“Yes, Ampora, I am offering to be your moirail because if any of these sorry asses need one it’s you and Equius and thank every god that Nepeta already has that sweaty freak accounted for.”  _ There a stab of something familiar and painful but you ignore it, you ignore it because you’re lost and desperate and Karkat is offering to take you on even if only as a charity case and you know better than to ask for more. _

“Oh...okay, wwell I guess I’ll be keeping in touch then.”    
_ Karkat turns around and frowns; shit, how did you fuck up already?! _

“What part of ‘stick with me’ did you not get? If you think I’m just gonna let you stay here and continue to faster in this monochrome daymare you’re sorely fucking mistaken.”    
_ You honestly don’t know what to say. On one hand, you’re a little excited; you won’t be left alone with just your thoughts and the angels, on the other hand, you’re a nervous enough to feel sick; the solitude was a form of protection, something to put distance between you and the life’s horrors. Taking your silence as acceptance, Karkat grabs your arm and half drags you back to your hive to head up to the portal.  _

_ Honestly, you expect your moirallegiance with Karkat to play out somewhat like Feferi’s with the only real difference being you actually feel like you can talk to Kar which probably should have been your first clue. Unlike with Feferi, there’s no heavy weight on your shoulders to be useful to him...okay that’s a partial lie, you do feel it; that want, that need to be of use to your diamond but not from  _ ** _him_ ** _ . Karkat doesn’t get upset with you if you’re too tired to do something for him, in fact, he’s usually the one practically shoving you into the nearest coon to rest, and when you have your moments of weakness, where everything is just too much to fast, his hands are gentle on your shoulders and voice soft in your ears. He’s...he’s more than you deserve but he gives so willingly and you take it all greedily, giving him all you have in return; your military knowhow from FLARPing and studying your ancestor’s journals, your resources, yourself. He accepts it all just as Fef did but more than anything else he seems to just want  _ ** _you_ ** _ .  _

_ He keeps you close like he promised and he’s surprisingly tactile, his hand often finding it’s way to your bicep or the crook of your elbow though seemingly too shy to just take your hand. When you’re not figuring out how to banish the Black Queen and battle plans for the Black King, you just talk about everything and nothing; bitching about your mutual friends out of frustration, ribbing each other, and what your plans when you win. It’s good, it’s safe and warm and fills you with something other than dread.  _

_ Of course, all good things come at a price. When the black demon shows up and cuts the door in half with your moirail just inches away you panic and grab him, pulling Karkat to your chest and calling Ahab’s Crosshairs to your side. You don’t get a chance to fire at the beast before Aradia forces all of you to retreat through a teleporter, to where you have no idea. Wherever it is, it’s desolate and bleak. Once the group manages to untangle themselves Karkat goes about checking to make sure everyone is okay, or at least as okay as possible all things considered. A brief conversation, if you can call it that, with Aradia reveals that you are all somewhere in The Veil and should be safe from the demon. Should… _

_ The group spreads out to take stock of their new surroundings, giving you a chance to pull Karkat away from the others.  _

“Eridan what-”

“You’re shakin’, Kar,”  _ you gently reply as you put your hands on his shoulders. Shaking is an understatement, he’s practically vibrating under your touch. He takes a deep breath as if to give you a good verbal lashing but all that comes out is the most pathetic chirp you’ve ever heard. Your pusher practically shatters at the sound as you pull Karkat to your chest and wrap yourself around him. You nuzzle him and purr in hopes of soothing your distressed diamond and while the choked breathing and wet shirt would imply otherwise, the reduced shaking lets you know it’s working. You’ll keep him safe, you will, even if it’s the last thing you do. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I'm a hardcore Vanpora shipper yet?


	4. Get Shreked (MSPA Reader & Eridan <?> John)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is...well, you kind of don’t have a name and yet have so many! Most people call you MSPA Reader, though, but that’s not important right now. What is important is the teen boy sitting in front of you surrounded by burning carnage and filled with a deeper sorrow and self-loathing than you can imagine.

_ Your name is...well, you kind of don’t have a name and yet have so many! Most people call you MSPA Reader, though, but that’s not important right now. What  _ ** _is _ ** _ important is the teen boy sitting in front of you surrounded by burning carnage and filled with a deeper sorrow and self-loathing than you can imagine. Eridan has done and said some terrible things and will probably continue to do and say terrible things but now he’s  _ ** _aware _ ** _ and he’s willing to change and that’s what matters. You tell him you’d still very much like to see that movie with him and his face lights up before giving way to one of dread.  _

“Wwait, wwhat time is it?!” 

_ You pat yourself down for your palmhusk but Eridan beats you to it and groans, fins laying flat as he deflates and you wince; you’ve missed it. Eridan pinches the bridge of his nose under his classes and you frown a little. He’d just been so excited! There had to be something you could do for him? You consider offering to watch it another time but considering what he said about it being a classic and the fact that he’d been holding onto those tickets for months, it’s likely not to come around again anytime soon and you don’t exactly own a copy. Think, damn it!  _

_ During your mental self flagellation you remember what Eridan said about magic and an idea hits you! Who else likes magic and also might possibly have a copy of Shrek? Dave-wait, no, wrong human. Maybe? You’re actually not sure what Strider’s stance on either would be and you’re getting off track again.  _

“Hey, I’ve got a friend who might have it on disc,” _ you tell him excitedly. Eridan looks skeptical but intrigued all the same so you hold out your hand which he flinches away from, fins flared and teeth bared. Oh, right, suddenly shoving appendages at someone who just got a building thrown at him probably isn’t the best idea.  _

“Sorry, sorry!”  _ You hold your hands up,  _ “The fancy teleporting thing only works for other people if they’re touching me is all.”  _ He looks skittish and unsure but when you hold your hand out to him again, slower this time, he gently takes it and you grin.  _

_ You think of green trees, tire swings, and pogo Slimers and suddenly there’s a yelp and a thud; John has fallen off his bed and is now glaring from the floor.  _

“What did I say about jump scares!?”  _ John howls indignantly as he rights himself. Any mistrust from your unintentional scaring is forgotten, however, as soon as he lays eyes on Eridan his demeanor completely changes.  _

“Oh, oh, you brought another troll with you! Why’s he a fish? Is Karkat secretly a fish, to?!”  _ John places his hands on his face à la ‘Home Alone’ at his possible revelation. Eridan, for his part, looks equal parts terrified and exhausted which you think is a little fair, John tends to be a little high energy the first time you meet him. At the mention of Karkat, however, something about Eridan changes. You can’t quite place it, the change is so small, and yet so noticeable.  _

“You knoww kar?”  _ he asks equal parts intrigued and suspicious.  _

“A little. I only met him in person once when they-”  _ John points to you with his thumb, _ “-teleported him to Dave’s apartment while we were gaming. He’s kinda grumpy and snarky but he’s not a bad guy.” 

_ Eridan’s shoulders seem to relax at that; you’ll have to ask Eridan about what he knows about Karkat later. For now, you have a mission! _

“Hey, John, do you have Shrek 2?” 

_ John stares at you blankly, his only response in that moment a slow blink, and you find yourself suddenly sweating bullets. _

“Did you  **really** just ask if I have Shrek 2..?” 

_ You twiddle your fingers and don’t even bother looking at Eridan, you fucked u- _

“Uh, yeah I have Shrek 2! I have the other three movies, to!” 

_ Oh thank god! You let out a sigh of relief as John all but dances in place and Eridan actually looks a little impressed.  _

“Wwell, wwhat are you wwaitin for?” 

_ You frown at Eridan a little but either John doesn’t notice or don’t mind Eridan’s rudeness.  _

“Wait here, I gotta grab them from from the movie cabinet!”  _ John runs out the door leaving you alone with Eridan, whom you turn to with a sigh.  _

“Eridan, did you literally forget the talk we had?”

“Wwhat? i didnt evven do anythin’! I could havve been much wworse considerin’ your friend is a pink, squishy, hornless alien,”  _ he huffs and okay, fair, you did kind of teleport him to an alien world to meet an alien, to him at least, boy to watch movies but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a little more polite all things considered. Speaking of polite that includes not poking around-okay you can’t really say anything this time considering you also like to poke through people’s stuff.  _

_ Eridan proceeds to rummage around John’s room, looking rather unimpressed with his wardrobe before digging into his magic chest just as John gets back.  _

“Oh, do you like magic, to?”  _ he asks giddily as he sets the movies down by his desktop; Eridan snorts derisively.  _

“Magic is fakey fake shit and evveryone knowws it.”

“Well, yeah, but that doesn’t answer the question,”  _ he giggles, _ “Just because magic is fake doesn’t mean the spirit of it is, and besides who’s gonna stop you from liking something?”

_ You have an answer for that but you keep it to yourself. Eridan, for his part, looks a little unsure but then starts pulling an old mini projector from his closet and starts hooking it up to his desktop.  _

“So I went ahead and grabbed all four movies. We  **could** start with 2 but personally I think we should start from the beginning to get the full affect!” _ John gives you both a blinding smile and Eridan tries to return it, this time just a little more successful than the ones before.  _

_ After John finishes setting everything up the three of you climb on his bed with John all but cuddling up next to Eridan so he can attempt to show the sea troll a couple of card tricks while you wait for the main menu to pop up, the key word being attempt. Once the movie actually starts all eyes are glued to the wall, silence falling between you except for Eridan or John occasionally quoting a line along with the movie. Here and now, Eridan actually looks like a teenager hanging out with his friends, relaxed and genuinely enjoying himself. You can’t help the smile that pulls at your lips. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fan fact: Originally the fic was going to be longer with Eridan helping June realize who she was but I just couldn't find a way for it to happen organically/in a way I felt would be respectful so I decided to cut it short.


	5. High Tide (Feferi centric, Eridan <> Karkat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Feferi Peixes and you suddenly find yourself without a moirail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A FORWARNING FOR FEF FANS, THIS FIC PAINTS HER IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT SO THIS PROBABLY ISN'T THE FIC FOR YOU

_ Your name is Feferi Peixes and you suddenly find yourself without a moirail. Admittedly you probably should have known something was up considering Eridan had been rather distant as of late but you would never imagine that he would just up and leave you. Well, that makes it sound a lot more dramatic than it is; he simply sent a short and to-the-point message stating that he was no longer interested in being your diamond, which in and of itself, was strange considering Eridan’s tendency for theatrics. You consider the possibility that there’s more to this, that Eridan is trying to coerce an emotional response out of you by playing it off like he no longer needs you in the most detached way possible in hopes that you’ll come crying for him to return and frown. How cruel of him, you think, considering all you’d done for him! You won’t let it get to you, though, because it's Eridan and he can be selfish sometimes so you decide to wait things out. Once he realizes he won’t get the response he wants, he’ll come back in some grand fashion and beg for you to take him back. _

_ So you wait...and wait...and wait. A month passes and you hear not a peep from him. Oh he still helps you keep Gl'bgolyb fed, dropping large lussi over her feeding spot for you to drag down, but he never sticks around after like he used to. You huff and stare at one of the far walls of your hive, lips pursed and leg bouncing off the side of your lounge plank before you finally sit up and decide to bite the proverbial bullet and message him. _

cuttlefishCuller [CC] began trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]

CC: )(ey -Eridan! It's been a w)(ale since I've )(eard from you.

_ You wait for a little bit and just as you start to think he’s ignoring you Trollian pings. _

CA: yeah sorry about that fef ivve just been kinda busy. 

_ Something about his message seems a little off to you though you can’t quite place your finger on why. _

CC: Busy wit)( w)(at? 38o

CA: you knoww just

CA: hangin out wwith my diamond

_ You blink; once, twice. That’s can’t be right and yet the words don’t change. _

CC: But we )(aven't )(ung out in mont)(s, silly!

_ Once again Trollian goes quiet and you can’t help but chew your lip. This isn’t like him at all-unless! Unless you’ve given him exactly what he wanted. You cross your arms and pout, though you have to give it to him, he’s been far more patient than he’s ever been to be able to pull this off. _

CA: uh fef didnt you get my message a wwhile ago

_ You feel like you’ve been pulled into the riptide; he can’t be serious? He can’t really mean-You try to type up a reply but nothing you say sounds good so you decide to ignore the question all together. _

CC: So w)(o )(ave you been )(anging out wit)(? Tell t)(em I said )(I! 38D

CA: i just said my i wwas hangin wwith my moirail fef

CC: T)(at's not w)(at I meant and you know it, -Eridan. 38/ Come on, tell me!

CA: look fef i gotta go maybe later

caligulasAquarium [CA] stopped trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC] 

_ If you were in a riptide before you’re in a whirlpool now; what is up with him!? You can’t help but be a little perturbed at the way Eridan danced around your question, you don’t see why he couldn’t have just told you who his new diamond is considering you would think the two of you were still friends. You huff and lay back on your lounge plank. It doesn’t really matter, you decide, you’ll likely find out sooner or later from one of your mutual friends. _

_ A week passes and you get your answer in a way you wouldn’t expect. The “game” Sollux made for your friend group has tossed everything into chaos, albeit exciting chaos! Freed from the constraints of your castle and your duty to your lusus you made it a habit to travel as much as possible, which works in your favor as Karkat, the self appointed leader of your little group, has called for a group meeting to discuss how to deal with the Black Queen. You head to LORAF and take a minute to let the cooling rain wash over you before heading into Kanaya’s hive where everyone is waiting. You smile and wave at Nepeta who waves back excitedly next to Equius. Aradia hovers off in a far next to Sollux a ways away from Vriska who’s leaning arms crossed against one of the doorways and Tavros sits on the opposite wall between Terezi and Gamzee, the later of which is lounging sleepily on one of Kanaya’s arm chairs. Said jadeblood is standing off to the left of Karkat and Eridan was standing on his right. _

_ You have to do a double take because Eridan looks the same and yet so, so different. He stands with his back straight, shoulders squared like he’s some kind of regal advisor and he’s practically glowing with pride. The biggest change you notice, or more accurately the most obvious one, is his scarf. The cerulean blue stripes have been traded for alternating shades of grey and something clicks. You don’t listen as closely as you probably should to Karkat’s plan because you’re to busy watching him and Eridan and though they keep a professional distance from each other through Karkat’s little speech the minute the group starts to disperse Eridan practically glues himself to Karkat’s side. _

_ You can’t hear what he says to Karkat because Terezi and Vriska are having a back-and-forth to your right but you can see him give a little bow with a flourish of his violet cape before offering his arm to the smaller troll. Karkat rolls his eyes but you can see a little smile pull at his lips as he grabs the crook of Eridan’s arm. _

“They’re Surprisingly Cute.” 

_ You nearly jump out of your skin and turn to Kanaya who’s smiling softly at the two. _

“O)(, definitely, t)(oug)( I'm a little surprised. I knew -Eridan )(ad a new moirail but I didn't t)(ink it was Crabcatc)(.” _ Though the more you think about it, the more you feel like you should have. Eridan always had a tendency to run off to gossip with the other troll rather than talk to you and always seemed reluctant to tell you about him or anything they talked about. _

“Really? I Would Have Thought You'd Be The First Person Eridan Would Tell.”

“Me to…” 

_ You can’t stop thinking about them from that point on and it _ ** _bothers_ ** _ you. Why? Why do always feel your eyes drifting to them whenever you’re all together? Why does the way Eridan smile bright and full of joy at Karkat make your stomach twist? Why is it the way Karkat is always snuggled into Eridan’s side whenever possible making your pusher do flips? After some deep thinking you come to one conclusion; you feel off because you’re worried for Karkat. Even when Eridan was your diamond he seemed to be running off to get pale attention from Karkat and if he’s willing to do that to you what’s to stop him from cheating on poor Karkat? You make it your mission to keep the poor troll from suffering such a fate and put your plan into action as soon as you see him again. _

_ Fate seems to be in your favor when Karkat calls another meeting to discuss how to defeat the Black King. This time you manage to keep your eyes off Eridan but only just barely and when the meeting ends, albeit prematurely when Vriska tries to pick a fight with Eridan before storming out, you quickly slide up to Karkat and take his hands in yours with a grin. _

“)(ey Carpcatfis)(!” _ you chirp happily, _ “I need to borrow you for a second.” _ Karkat starts to say something but you quickly pull him away from the group. _

“What the fuck, Feferi?” _ Karkat glares but he looks obscenely nervous and he keeps trying to pull his hands out of yours. _

“I just wanted to c)(eck in on you; are you okay?”  
“Well I was fine until you decided to try and yank my arms out of their sockets. Can I have my hands back, please?” _ You notice the way Karkat looks increasingly distressed and seems to be looking anywhere but you and you take that as all the conformation you need. You pull Karkat into a gentle but firm hug. _

“O)( Karkat, you know you can talk to me, rig)(t? I know -Eridan can be )(ard to )(andle and-”

_ Karkat immediately pushes you away or at least tries considering the difference in strength. _

“Excuse the absolute fuck out of you; ‘hard to handle’? Where in the festering nook diving shit do you get off talking that way about **my ** moirail, especially to my face?” _ the smaller troll seethes, ears flat and teeth bared. _

“ I'm just worried about you; I was )(is moirail to, remember! I know )(ow )(e can be, or at least I t)(oug)(t I did, but recently I've been doing some t)(inking-”

“Let go of me, Feferi,” _ he pushes again and tries to squirm out of your grasp. _

“Karkat, please, you )(ave to listen! I'm just trying to )(elp, w)(at if -Eridan c)(eats on you like )(e did to me?” 

_ Karkat goes dead still, his eyes widening and mouth agape. _

“I know, I was s)(ocked to, but I s)(ould )(ave realized it sooner w)(en )(e'd run off talk to you. I'm not mad at you, in fact I feel just so awful t)(at -Eridan would use you t)(is way and if )(e's willing to do it to me t)(en w)(at's stopping )(im from doing it to you? I can't just sit back and let it )(appen, especially not to someone as kind and wonderful as you.” 

_ Karkat’s eyes are wild and frantic, looking every which way like he’s looking for an escape and his breath is ragged and short. You feel bad, sending him into a panic like this, but Karkat deserves to know. _

“-Eridan played us bot)( but t)(at doesn't mean we )(ave to suffer because of it; I'm )(ere for you.” _ You gently raise a hand to pap him on the cheek only for him to snatch your wrist in an iron grip. _

“Let go of me…”

“Karkat-”  
“Let go of me right now, Peixes, or so help me I will scream bloody murder.” 

_ He’s quieter than you’ve ever heard him and his voice is tinged with the faintest distressed chirp, one that if it gets any louder will have Eridan tearing through in a bloodrage. Well, if he’s not just using Karkat, that is. You decide to let go all the same as laying out the hard truth for Karkat has only seemed to upset him and the minute you do he shoots off in the opposite direction. _

_ You don’t see or hear from either of them again until the battle with the Black King and you’re all a bit distracted with not dying and beating the game to be worrying about relationship problems and even after that because of the Demon that shows up and literally slashes your victory in half. No, it’s not until you’re all trapped on the meteor that you really get a chance to think about the romantic situation at hand. Eridan won’t leave Karkat’s side, the violetblood attaching himself to the smaller troll like a barnacle. He’s graduated from having Karkat hold his arm, though Karkat does still at times, to usually having his arm around Karkat’s shoulder or around his waist with his hand resting in Karkat’s pocket. His cape has been repurposed, now serving to somewhat cushion the broken wand pile that Eridan made for them to rest on when they’re not harassing the aliens Karkat swears are to blame for your misfortune. You can never manage to get Karkat alone and it frustrates you. Here you are trying to help and he not only seems to spurn you but actively gets closer to his wouldbe abuser. _

_ Exasperated, you turn to the only other troll who could understand; Sollux. Poor Sollux doesn’t seem all to happy with Karkat’s choice of quadrants, either, though he doesn’t really seem to happy about much of anything anymore after Aradia blew up. You bend his ear about your concerns as you both lay on the horn pile, arms crossed and legs kicking. _

“I just don't get it, Sollux! I'm trying to )(elp and Karkat acts like I spat in )(is face!”

“No offen2e, FF, but maybe becau2e you kiind of diid? Liike don't get me wrong, Eriidan ii2 a priick who deep-throat2 hii2 own bulge 2o often II'm 2urprii2ed iit'2 not ju2t 2traiight up attached to hiis mouth but II'm pretty 2ure he'2 2o iinto KK that he'd 2erve hii2 pu2her on a gem encru2ted platter iif KK a2ked. And II mean, are you really 2urprii2ed he took iit 2o hard? You know how KK ii2 about romance and quadrant2 2o II can't iimagiine he'd take 2omeone talkiing about hii2 own lyiing down.”

“But Sollux, you can't tell me )(im sneaking around to talk to Karkat be)(ind my back isn't kind of fis)(y!”

“II can't but II can tell you that ju2t becau2e Eriidan doe2n't tell you every per2on he talk2 two or when he talk2 two them doe2n't count a2 2neakiing. FF don't you thiink you're takiing thii2 a biit far? They're happy and II thiink that'2 what 2hould be iimportant, e2peciially riight now…” _ Sollux crosses his arms and turns away from you signalling the end of the conversation for now. You can’t help the way it makes your stomach turn, you would think out of everyone that Sollux would understand where you’re coming from. You huff and decide to let it go for now, pushing it off on Sollux still being upset by Aradia’s second death to see reason, so you focus on that for a while instead. _

_ It is during one of these conversations that you finally get another chance to talk to Karkat again, Eridan having wandered off with Kanaya to help her look for a good place to set the matriorb. _

“)(ey Karcrab! W)(y don't you join us on t)(e )(orn pile? T)(ere's plenty of room!” _ You pat the pile causing a few of the horns to honk. Sollux head snaps in your direction with a glare and Karkat looks like you just told him to sit in lusus leavings. _

“Thanks but no thanks, I think I'll stand over here.”

“Plus we're kiinda haviing a priivate conver2atiion here, FF.” 

“Come on, don't be like t)(at! We were just talking about some stuff like )(ow Sollux is still really sad about Aradia blowing up”

“Are you fuckiing 2eriiou2 riight now? you know what, whatever, 2ure, let2 ju2t 2piill all my deepe2t thought2 liike grub2auce all over the floor.” _ Sollux throws his arms up before crossing them with a glare. What’s his problem? You decide to put it on the backburner for now; you don’t know when you’ll get a chance to talk to Karkat like this, especially considering he looks like he’s seconds away from turning tail and running. _

“So w)(at do you say, Karkat? Is t)(ere anyt)(ing you wanna get off your c)(est?”

“FF…”

“I noticed -Eridan isn't wit)( you. Did )(e go off alone wit)( Kanaya? Seems kind of fis)(y don't you t)(i-”

“Stop, just fucking stop Feferi!” _ You can’t help the way you jump as Karkat screams, hands balled into fists at his side. _

“Do you know how tired I am of your hoofbeast shit? I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, you were having some weird shock induced delusions caused by the game and that after a while you’d be at least a little more sane again but apparently I should’ve been praying to Gamzee’s stupid Massiahs because I was asking for a miracle! Yes, Eridan went off with Kanaya; No, he’s not having some dastardly secret pale meetups with her and I would bet my life on it because unlike you I’m not some insecure sociopath who can’t let their quadrants use the load gapper without informing you first.”

_ Your fins press against your head and your pusher twists into knots as his words stab into you. _

“T)(at...t)(at's not very nice, Karkat, I'm just trying to-”

“You’re trying to manipulate Eridan’s quadrants because for whatever reason you can’t seem to stand the idea of him being happy; News flash, it’s not going to work because unlike people like Equius I have my own pan to think with.”

“T)(at's not it!”

“Like hell it isn’t, since the moment you knew we were together, fuck even before that, you’ve had your head up our nooks whether its trying to grill Eridan on who his new quad is even if its none of your business, to trying to feed me lies and practically force your fake pale affection on me.”

_ Your lip wobbles and your throat feels tight, eyes stinging. You just want to help, to keep Karkat safe, and he’s saying all these awful things about you in front of Sollux no less! You stand up to defend yourself, towering over Karkat, when you hear a deep growl from behind you. At first you think it's Sollux and when you look, his teeth are bared, but it's not him. _

“Eridan?!” _ Karkat screams in distress before shoving past you and you can see why. Eridan’s glasses are shattered and hanging low on his nose and his left arm is dangling uselessly at his side. Despite being clearly injured Eridan tries to put himself between you and Karkat, snarling and growling until Karkat finally manages to get his attention with a gentle pap and soft shoosh _. 

“Eridan what happened, where’s Kanaya?”

“Makara’s finally lost it, Kar. Kan and I split up to check for good places to put the orb and wwhen I wwent back to our meetup spot I just-gog, Kar, there wwas so much blood and the matriorb wwas mush! He jumped me but i managed to fend him off; wwe need to get out of here noww!” 

“No...no, Gamzee wouldn't do t)(at! You're lying, you killed Kanaya!”

“Kan wwas my friend you festerin sea hag!” _Eridan snarls,_ “If you dont fuckin believve me then fine, you can sit here in your little dream bubble wwhile the rest of us get to safety!”

_ You don’t believe him because Gamzee is sweet and a little slow and would never hurt anything, let alone his friends. You look to Sollux to back you up because surely he has to know Eridan’s lying and that if you let Karkat go with him Eridan will kill him, to, but despite looking wary of the whole situation, he steps forward. _

“Iif he'd triied two kiill Kanaya he'd be mii22iing liimb2 not liimpiing around wiith a broken arm and II'm not 2tayiing here two fiind out the hard way iif he'2 full of hoofbea2t 2hiit. Wor2t ca2e 2cenariio he'2 the one who'2 lo2t iit and II have two bla2t hiim iin front of KK.” _ Karkat flips Sollux off but makes no move to stop him from joining them. _

“You can still come wwith us, Fef…” 

_ You look at them and bite your lip as this time the tears actually flow. _

“No. I'm staying rig)(t )(ere so w)(en Gamzee comes back just as )(e's always been )(e'll know )(e at least still )(as one friend w)(o believes in )(im.” _ You sit back down in the horn pile, arms crossed and stance resolute. You expect Eridan to beg, to plead with you to come with them, but he simply shakes his head and turns away with Karkat at his side and Sollux in tow. _

_ You are now alone in the control room and for once you don’t know what to do. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Just a minor one where I uncapped Kar's text because I don't use his typing quirk when he speaks in person in my previous drabbles  
idk why I did it to this one??? XD


	6. Mirror, Mirror (Eridan & Eridan)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Eridan Ampora and you feel like you're staring into some purple's fucked up "funhive" mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which bellmandi86's Eridan has the misfortune of meeting mine. Slight warning for animal death and gore though it's not super graphic.

_ Your name is Eridan Ampora and you are currently hunting orthrus deer. While learning how to navigate the bubbles was a little troubling at first you’ve since caught on and made some discoveries along the way such as eating here satiates you in the real world which works out in your favor considering the situation you and your friends find yourselves in. Currently, the deer is eating with its doe head, the stag one raised and alert, while you hide just out of sight with Ahab’s at the ready. You have to wait until both heads line up because even if you take out one, the other can still control the body for a good amount of time and you’d rather not give it a chance to run off.  _

_ The heads begin to switch off and you’re just about to pull the trigger when they line up when a blur of something rushes out of the foliage to your left and snatches the deer right from view. A swear startles from you and you run into the clearing where your prey had stood only seconds prior, considering your options; you could just hunt for something else but you’re not sure how much longer you’re going to be asleep, or, you could chase down whatever possibly dangerous animal has made off with your prey. Weighing the pros and cons you ultimately decide on the latter, it's not as if you haven’t hunted dangerous beasts before and you’re admittedly annoyed with whatever poached your hunt.  _

_ It’s not all too hard to track it down what with the deer’s teal blood and squeals leading the way, the latter only ending when you hear two sickening snaps. Your jog slows to a near crawl as you get lower to the ground so as not to be spotted. When you find the culprit you’re admittedly a little confused; it looks like some kind of cephalopod, dark violet and writhing over the carcass as it eats. Tendrils spread out from it, curling and coiling against the forest floor as if searching for something. You move to try and see if you can find its eyes when you accidentally step on a twig. Every muscle goes rigged before your body seemingly moves on its own, jumping out of the way just in time to not be impaled by several tendrils.  _

_ Coming out of a youth roll you aim Ahab’s at the creature only to find its no animal at all, or at least not the kind you thought. No, this animal is wearing your face and your clothes and the uncanny valley look of him makes you uncomfortable beyond belief. His body looks like he’s been stretched out, limbs long and sickeningly thin and hands ending in three spidery fingers and a thumb all ending in long curved claws meant for rending flesh compared to your lean and admittedly more human build, though your claws are no less sharp. There’s webbing between his fingers and along his arms from his wrists to his elbows, the tining of which looks unreasonably sharp and the thing you mistook for his body earlier appears to be his cape, which is currently writhing angrily around him. Your eyes follow the teal blood up his sweater to his face which is basically split in half with a snarl as he bares to many teeth that seem like they should be too big to fit his mouth, his eyes wholly violet as he snarls and growls low in his chest hunched over the deer.  _

_ You consider answering his display with one of your own, a flash of biolum and a fanning of your own facial fins, but you decide otherwise when you realize his posture is defensive, a creature protecting its food from another predator. Biting the proverbial bullet, you captcha Ahab’s and put your hands up in a none threatening way; it almost feels like you’re dealing with your lusus on a bad day. _

“Easy there, no need to get vviolent. I put awway my wweapon, see? Can you speak?” 

_ His snarl turns from one of anger to one of disbelief before he snorts at you and yeah he definitely picked that up from your lusus.  _

“No, not at all,”  _ he replies sarcastically. As it turns out, his eyes are not violet at all but were covered by a violet membrane that recedes sideways leaving you to stare into familiar gold and slit pupils.  _

“And I’ll not havve you talkin’ at me like I’m some beast, thank you kindly,”  _ he snaps, teeth still bared but face no longer seemingly split in half. There’s a snarky remark in the tip of your tongue about how he was definitely acting like one but you’d rather not start a fight so you keep it to yourself.  _

“Fair enough,”  _ you offer placatingly. Seemingly appeased with your not quite apology he proceeds to rudely go about ignoring your presence and starts chowing down on the carcass again. It’s...actually kind of gross. He doesn’t skin and dress the deer, instead simply biting and clawing into it, scarfing down hide and all as its intestines and stomach spill out onto the forest floor. One of the tendrils on his cape grabs a leg and twists it until the bone shatters and flesh rips before taking a bite out of it, bone snapping between his teeth and blood staining his front.  _

_ Noticing you haven’t left, he glares again.  _

“Wwhat?”  _ he demands around a mouth full of fur, bone shards, and muscle tissue. You give him a glare of your own.  _

“First of all, don’t talk wwith your mouth full; wwhat are you, a wwriggler? secondly, you owwe me.” 

“I don’t owwe you shit,”  _ he seethes after swallowing.  _

“Except you do because I wwas huntin’ that orthrus deer first.”  _ Again he snorts and rolls his eyes, muttering something about ‘wwho’s actin’ like a wwrigler noww?’ before ripping off one of the back legs and tossing it at you. You’re almost certain he makes sure to splatter you with blood in the process because he looks far too smug when it hits your face and chest. You’re pretty sure you feel a headache coming on and honestly you don’t have the energy to deal with his shit so you take the leg and leave. It’s not as much as you would’ve liked but you won’t go hungry. You make a mental note to just look for something else next time. _


	7. Make Him Pay (POV Switch, Vriska & Karkat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Vriska Serket and you're pissed.
> 
> Your name is Karkat Vantas and you're stressed.

_ Your name is Vriska Serket and you are _ ** _livid_ ** _ . After ‘The Incident’ involving you, Tavros, and Terezi, Aradia stopped talking to you and all three quit FLARPing. You were admittedly pissed, what with being stuck with Ampora but he, to, quit FLARPing and as if to add insult to injury dropped you as his kismesis. _

arachnidsGrip [AG] began trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]

AG: What the fuck do you mean 'we're through' Ampora? What happened to all your 8ig talk a8out us 8eing destined spades just like our ancestors????????

CA: look vvris it just wwasnt gonna wwork out and its not like you evver believved any of that anywway

CA: wwhy are you so pissed anywway

AG: I dunno, may8e 8ecause all my friends are fucking chumps who're acting like a 8unch of wrigglers just 8ecause Tavros got a little hurt and maaaaaaaay8e I expected 8etter of my quads. >::::/ 

CA: havve you evver considered that maybe theyre bein reasonable

_ You _ ** _cannot_ ** _ believe what you’re reading. _

AG: That's cheap coming from you!

AG: Since when did you care a8out low8loods?

_ It’s then that something hits you, something Feferi had mentioned offhandedly once. _

AG: Did Karkat tell you to dump me????!!!!

_ You don’t bother waiting for his reply, though Trollian tells you he’s typing. No, instead you click on a certain grey handle and open up another chat. _

arachnidsGrip [AG] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG]

AG: Did you tell Eridan to dump me? 

CG: WELL GOOD-FUCKING-NIGHT TO YOU, TO, VRISKA, AND I DIDN’T TELL AMPORA TO DO SHIT. 

AG: Don't fuck with me, Vantas. What did you do? >::::(

CG: LOOK, ALL I DID WAS TALK TO HIM. 

CG: WHAT ERIDAN DECIDED TO DO AFTER THAT WAS UP TO HIM. 

carcinoGeneticist [CG] has stopped trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]

_ You fucking knew it! You look over and notice your conversation with Eridan is flashing. _

CA: leavve kar out of this vvris

CA: he didnt tell me to do anythin this is just betwween you and me

_ You troll your eyes, er, eye. _

AG: Whatever, Eridan.

arachnidsGrip [AG] has stopped trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]

_ This is complete and utter hoofbeast shit! You’d expect something this underhanded from yourself or Terezi maybe but Karkat’s always seemed more like a minor annoyance than any real threat and yet here he is upturning your relationships. You’d honestly be a little impressed if he’d done it to someone else. As it currently stands, you’re pissed and you think you should teach him a lesson. _

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ Your name is Karkat Vantas and you’re a little stressed, just a smidge, which is why you’re chewing on your own hand to keep yourself from handing Eridan his own ass. You’d genuinely feel a little guilty since it's not actually his fault your fuse is a little shorter than usual tonight though his constant apologizing for ‘dragging you into this’ is getting old. You’re about to tell him it's fine when Trollian pings at you with a message from the one person you really don’t want to talk to right now. _

arachnidsGrip [AG] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG]

AG: Heeeeeeeey Karkat. ::::)

CG: WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW, VRISKA?

AG: No need to get snippy, I just wanted to apologize for earlier.

_ You glare at the screen, your pusherrate skyrocketing. Vriska doesn’t apologize for shit. _

AG: I was just shocked is all and I shouldn't have taken it out on you like that so I sent you a gift!

CG: A GIFT? AND YOU EXPECT ME TO ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT?

AG: It's true! I even had your 8estfriend 8ring it over for you, he should 8e outside your hive right now.

CG: WHAT KIND OF PANLESS CHUMP DO YOU TAKE ME FOR THAT YOU THINK I’M GONNA FALL FOR SUCH A GRUBBISH TRICK?

AG: Just look! 

_ A knot forms in your stomach and you’re half tempted to tell her to fuck off but you can’t help but wonder if maybe she’s being honest in which case it would make you look like an even bigger bulgemunch than usual if you leave whichever poor troll she conscripted for this little scheme out in the cold. _

_ As you get up and make your way to the door you have to wonder who exactly she sent; you doubt its Eridan, you’re pretty sure he would have told you if she’d try to pull him into some scheme to get you back in her good graces. You swear, if she sent Gamzee to your hive you’re gonna... _

_ You open the door and peak out, almost darting back inside when you see a figure floating in the sky until you realize it is decidedly troll shaped and not one of the drones. In fact, it looks a little like- _

“Sollux? Since when did you become Vriska’s errand boy?” _ you huff, stepping out completely to glare at him. It’s only then that you realize Sollux doesn’t look so good. _

“Bro, are you okay..?” _ There’s a tint of panic in your voice as you take notice of the way his eye flicker rapidly and the jar in his hand. Faintly you hear your husktop ping and your blood runs cold. _

AG: Hasta luego, Vantas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing Vriska ever so I apologize if she comes off OOC.


	8. Snap (Cronus <3 Kankri)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Cronus and it's very cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A gift for [candiedbonemarrow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/candiedbonemarrow) cause they like punching me in the feels and I figured I'd return the favor :'v

_ Your name is Cronus Ampora and you are the master of your own body if nothing else. You refuse to be downed by your freeze, especially when you know nothing will come of your suffering; no one will come to help you and you don’t have time to just lay around and be useless so you stomp it down and get on with your life; well, afterlife at this point. Sure it gets harder each time but you persevere each time without fail and you will continue to or at least that’s what you tell yourself until you’re suddenly hit with a snap freeze.  _

_ There’s no warning, no build up, just the sudden sharp pain of ice in your veins that has you biting back a howl and hitting the floor. You try to roll over, try to get up, but you only manage to roll on your side before the pain is too much. The cold seeps into your bones and locks your joints leaving you utterly helpless as it consumes you, draining you of any strength to fight and your eyes grow heavy. ‘So this is it,’ you think to yourself as the world grows dark, frozen to death by your own body alone in your hive where no one will ever notice. Will there be a body to find? Will your part of the bubble just fade away? In your last moments of consciousness you find the thought of just disappearing does not bring you peace like you’d thought, only a deep ache in your chest.  _

_ You sink into a darkness so deep that pitch black doesn’t even describe it and you start to unravel into nothing, just another string in the fabric of the void until suddenly something hot hits your face. At first it burns like candle wax but it quickly soothes into a soft warmth like summer rain as more hits your face. You’re...admittedly confused. Being double dead, shouldn’t you just, you know, stop existing? The warmth continues to spread, first across your cheek where the rain hits, then down your side where it seeps into your chest and strangely enough the palm of your left hand. You’re not exactly complaining, the warmth is more than welcome as it starts to chase the chill from you, but you’re confused all the same. Maybe instead of disappearing you just become a different Cronus, like moving to a different save point in a game. You’re not quite sure how you feel about that idea.  _

_ You find yourself drawn out of your thoughts as the cold starts to set in again, the warmth getting weaker, and you whine. ‘No, come back,’ you think as you try to focus on what’s left, brows furrowing in concentration. Except you  _ ** _feel _ ** _ that, you  _ ** _hear_ ** _ yourself whine. Fighting against the frost keeping your eyes shut you manage to blink blearily at the world around you. You’re still in your hive but everything is frozen now, the things closest to you completely covered in ice while things further away seem to only be frosted over. You look around before a splotch of color leads you to your left hand and your pusher immediately seizes in your chest. A red sweater covered arm drapes over your shoulder leading down to a smaller, slightly more delicate hand resting on yours with fingers a dark blue almost black.  _

“K-Kanny..?” 

_ No, no, no, he’s not supposed to be here, not supposed to see you like this and gods, fuck, fuck,  _ ** _fuck_ ** _ ! It makes sense now, the heat and weight on your side, or more accurately the draining heat. You fight your body as it tries to pull you back into the void and it takes you far longer than you’d like to get any of your limbs to work. You gently, oh so gently, try to pull Kankri off you but as soon as you start to move him he gives a shuddering breath and clings to your shirt.  _

“D-d-d-d9n’t...d9n’t, h-h-he needs me..!”

_ His voice is so quiet, distressed and completely wrecked by the cold and it stabs into your pusher. You give him another tug which rolls him over so he’s in front of you and gods he doesn’t look any better than he sounds. There’s tracks of red frozen to his cheeks, his nose and ears turning that same black-blue as his lips crack with each shivering breath and his eyes are wild and unseeing. _

“St9p...p-lease, st9p...I can-I can help, I can...I can fix this…” 

_ Despite looking right at you it's clear Kankri can’t really  _ ** _see_ ** _ you. He’s so far gone, he's shivering so much he’s practically vibrating and his breathing is shallow and slow and you’re hit with a feeling of helplessness and guilt; hypothermia, he’s given himself hypothermia trying to help you and it’s killing him.  _

_ You’ve got to do something, have to get him help but no matter how you strain your ears you can’t hear anyone nearby. Could you make it to Porrim’s hive before you both keel over? You doubt it, you can already see the black encroaching on the edges of your vision. You need to get him to the spare recuperacoon, putting him in the ablution trap would just send him into shock and the sopor has better healing anyway. The issue now is getting up and getting him  _ ** _to _ ** _ the recuperacoon; you can barely move and there’s no way Kankri is going to be able to walk.  _

_ You feel that guilt and self-loathing start gnawing at you again; Kankri wouldn’t be like this if you could have just fucking kept it together and-You’re pulled out of your downward spiral by the sound of a thunk next to you. Kankri can no longer hold up his head and his breathing is barely there and you swear out of the corner if your eye you can see ice starting to creep up his body. It’s enough to finally spur you into action as you basically peel yourself off the floor. Despite barely being conscious Kankri keeps his iron grip on your shirt of which you’re thankful as getting him off the ground is already a trial without worrying about him slipping out of your grip.  _ “You can do this,” you mumble to yourself. “You’re past the hard part, nowv you just havwe to get him to the recuperacoon…” 

_ It’s easier said than done, the guestblock is upstairs across from yours and the stairs are down the hall on the other side of the room. You growl and push forward despite the excruciating pain that comes with every step because like fuck you’re just going to lay back down, not when Kankri needs you, not when you owe it to him to fix your mess. You have to lean against the wall once you make it to the hallway and the stairs are a daymare that you nearly tumble back down twice but you manage to make it to the guestblock. Despite the distance from the door to the recuperacoon being the shortest it feels like the hardest. You’re dragging your feet, your vision is spotty, and if it weren’t for the puffs of Kankri’s shallow breaths against your chest you’re very sure you would have given up at the threshold.  _

_ By the time you actually reach the recuperacoon Kankri’s practically limp in your arms, frost on his lashes and in his hair.  _

“K-K-Kankri, I need-need you to let go. I gotta-I gotta get you outta those c-clothes so I can get you in the coon.” 

_ Despite your best efforts you can’t get out of his grip. Even when you manage to pull your shirt out of his hands he just desperately grabs for you.  _

“Kanny, please..!” 

“N-n9! N9, n9, n9, I can’t-I w9n’t g9. Cr9nus needs me, I can’t...I can’t…” 

_ His words are quiet and desperate, trails of red starting anew only to freeze in their tracks. If you get in with Kankri it’ll be counter productive, you’re likely to freeze the recuperacoon, but he won’t let go of you and the whole point of coming up here was to get him into said coon. It tastes like defeat in your mouth and a part of you is frustrated with Kankri. You’re a lost cause, damn it, why won’t he just let go so you can help him?! Why won’t he give up like everyone else has..?  _

_ The dark spots in your vision are getting bigger, more frequent, and each blink is getting dangerously longer each time. Scrounging up what little resolve you have left you fiddle with the recuperacoon settings a little before working on getting you both undressed. Your boots and jeans aren’t a problem and Kankri’s boots and leggings both have zippers but his sweater and your shirt end up collateral damage when you realize he’s not going to be able to coordinate with you enough to get them off normally. With you both fully undressed you quickly but carefully get you both settled in the recuperacoon. The minute you’re both settled, any strength you had left immediately leaves you. It’s far warmer than you like but in this moment the heat is distant, like it’s been filtered down. Kankri is still shivering in your arms, clinging to you hard like he’s trying to press every little bit of body heat he has left into you. Maybe you do it out of some delirious idea that you can warm him up, maybe you’re just being selfish in this moment, but whatever the reason you allow yourself to wrap your arms around Kankri and just hold him, your face buried in his hair. Your mind becomes sluggish, body growing weak again. You think you can see frost creeping into the coon and tears prick at your eyes. Kankri’s going to die, he’s going to freeze to death here with you and there’s nothing you can do. A gentle hand cups your face and wipes away your tears, startling you into a brief moment of clarity.  _

“It’s 9kay, Cr9nus…” 

_ You look down to find Kankri staring at you, his eyes still cloudy but far more aware, more present than they’d been before.  _

“It’s 9kay, I’m right here...always...here…” 

_ His voice starts to drift off and with his last bit of strength he pulls you into a kiss. It’s chaste, just a brush of lips; a last kiss goodbye. You kiss him back before being pulled back into the void. _

_ You drift there for what seems like forever, not quite aware and not quite feeling but still  _ ** _there_ ** _ . You have brief moments of existence or maybe memories of existence? All sensations and the sound of people talking, muffled and distant, and occasionally the press of something against your lips.You want it, whatever it is, you’re just...not quite sure how you’re supposed to take it. Luckily after a few attempts someone helps you figure out swallowing and gods you’re so grateful because whatever it is it’s warm and filling and makes you feel light and soft. As time goes on you start to feel more real, that warm feeling making you float up and up until you can actually  _ ** _feel_ ** _ heat against your skin and light press against your lids. The last one isn’t so great, you’d actually kind of like to go back to the dark a little longer but your body is having none of it. You make a disgruntled sound and bury your face into the soft heat.  _

“Cr9nus..?”

_ Oh...OH! You jolt up like you’ve been shocked and look around. You’re in your hive, the guestblock specifically, and the soft heat you were just nuzzling against is one Kankri Vantas. One very  _ ** _alive _ ** _ Kankri Vantas. He’s alive….you’re alive…,well, as alive as ghosts can be but still he’s here and whole and staring at you with big tear filled eyes and you think you might be crying to if the wetness on your face is anything to go by.  _

“H-hey, Kan.” 

_ He pulls you to him, arms wrapped tight and face buried in your hair as he sobs.  _

“I th9ught y9u were g9ne! G9ds, Cr9nus, it was like y9u g9dtiering all 9ver again; I th9ught...I th9ught I was t9 late, that I just-that I w9uld have t9 sit there and watch y9u slip thr9ugh my fingers and I…” 

_ Kankri sounds utterly wrecked and it destroys you from the inside out. You gently pull away before his heat sear you. _

“Howv do you think I felt? Vwhy vwould you do something so stupid like that, especially for someone like  **me** ? kankri you almost froze…” 

“6ecause an existence with9ut y9u is n9t 9ne I want t9 6e a part 9f.”

“You don’t mean that…”

“I d9! G9ds, Cr9nus, what d9 I have t9 d9 t9 pr9ve t9 y9u that I care, that I want-that I  **need ** y9u around?! 6ecause I d9…”

_ The sincerity of it all is killing you, ripping you apart from the inside out, and it’s not fair. No one needs you and no one should want you but even now Kankri won’t let you go as if as soon as he does you’ll melt away into the sopor.  _

“Cr9nus, I’m-”

“Don’t-Kanny, please…”

“Flushed f9r y9u, 9nly y9u.”

_ ‘How dare he,’ you think. How dare he attack you at your weakest and dig out your pusher, holding it so tight that it’s fit to burst and spill all of you.  _

“D9n’t scare me like that again, Cr9nus…”

_ He reaches up and pulls you down to him again but this kiss is different from the last, full of heat and force and as your chests press together and you think you feel your pushers thump in unison you think it feels like coming home. _


	9. Scarborough Fair (Bloodswap Signless <3 Dualscar)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are His Virtuous Sufferance but you don't think you've truly known suffering until now.

_ Your name is Kankri Vantas but your people know you as His Virtuous Sufferance and yet you find that you’ve never truly known suffering until now. You walk down darkened halls as you cradle your cargo to your chest, steps quick yet heavy like wading through deep snow. Descending down a set of stairs you find yourself in a small room in the center of which is a moon pool though the pool is not what draws your eye.  _

“Engineer Darkleer.”

“Your Sufferance.” 

_ The Herculean bronzeblood quickly drops to one knee before you, eyes trained on the ground.  _

“It’s ready then?”

“Yes. Thanks to the help of the Great Emissary I was able to stress test the glass to its STRONGEST capacity. Only if She were to place the whole of Herself on it would it shatter.”

“And y9u’re sure n9 water will get in.”

“On my life! Once closed, the bo% is sealed airtight.” 

_ You turn your eyes to the glass box in question; it’s a simple thing, rectangular in shape with a domed lid with industrial locks, though it’s contents were anything but as the bedding inside was made of the softest taffeta dyed a bright candy red. On that bedding lay a body, hands crossed over his chest on which rests a lute. _

“Well d9ne, n9w leave me.” 

_ Darkleer bows even lower before standing and making his way out of the room, head held low the entire time.  _

_ Once you can no longer hear his footsteps you make your way over to the box. A part of you is amused and disgusted. You’d heard tales of alien races who venerated their dead, dressing them up in fancy clothes and burying them or burning them on great funeral pyres, and found them silly. A body was a body, nothing more. Why would you waste a potential food source by burying it? Why bother burning someone after they’re already dead? And yet...and yet here you stand and in this moment you think you could understand.  _

_ You pull your precious cargo from your chest; a severed head only just barely touched by age with two long, jagged lightning-shaped scars running down over the right eye from brow to jaw matching similarly shaped horns. Your thumb brushes over one scar before you lay the head down with the rest of him, making him whole again...if only. Pain snatches your pusher in an iron grip and digs its claws in making it hard to breathe but you refuse to let yourself be crippled by it, you still have much to do. You close the lid, the casket gives a hiss before the locks fully click into place, and lift the box up with ease before making your way over to the moon pool. Gl'bgolyb is ready and waiting, two long tendrils reaching out and wrapping around your waist to lift you off the landing and then pull you in. It’s faster than just dropping to the bottom though she makes sure not to go so fast as to drown you or jostle the casket in your arms.  _

_ You descend deeper, deeper, and yet deeper still until you’re surrounded in a dark so absolute one might mistake it for the void of space. Despite the all-encompassing darkness, you see it all clearly; the gutted corpses of ships and the jagged skeletons of the hives of past rulers reaching up as if trying to rise again. Just as promised the casket holds, no cracks forming or bubbles of air escaping even as your feet finally touch the sandy bottom and she releases you.  _

_ Gl'bgolyb warbles a quiet mournful dirge as you walk and you have to wonder if she’s mocking you or if she was just as fond of the mutant as you were. You’re partial to the latter if only because she’s allowed him to be interred so close to her instead of just eating him and for all that your lusus cares for you she is a creature of desire and power; hers is the final word should she so decide. You do your best to keep your eyes ahead but every now and then you look down. What are you looking for, you wonder; for him to open his eyes? To make sure that he’s even still there in your arms? Both options are equally horrifying and yet favorable to reality. In a world of fantasy and wish-fulfillment, you would hope for the former; Cronus had always been fascinated by the ocean and what lay beneath the water’s surface and had it been within your power you would have pushed the fast oceans away to reveal it all to him. Again your pusher seizes and stutters in your chest but you push on.  _

_ Step by step you traverse the underwater graveyard until you find yourself at the entrance of what’s left of a grand, sprawling hive. This one belonged to Her Officious Consolance, Sashuk Xhamux. Admittedly her reign was short-lived, Alternia has a way of chewing up overly compassionate trolls, but you feel like he would have been drawn to her empathic nature and the gentle waves of her sign remind you of his horns.  _

_ You almost can’t bring yourself to pass the threshold as the finality of it all hits you but you persevere and walk inside, heading straight for the throne room. While the throne itself is long since gone the dais on which it sat is still perfectly intact. Gently, oh so gently, you lay the casket down and kneel beside it. Your journey now complete you finally let the waves of sorrow wash over you in a wounded howl before letting your sobs join in concert with your lusus’ lonely song. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently it's just make myself time   
I was actually listening to Dan's cover of Scarborough Fair when the thought hit me and I legit cried so like   
¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	10. Living Dead Boy (Karkat & Aradia <3 Sollux)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Karkat Vantas and you are very dead

_Your name is Karkat Vantas and everything is cold and dark and you’re so very hurt and scared. You know you’re crying, can hear it chorusing with the cries of others, but you cannot feel the tears on your cheeks. Dead, you’re dead and yet you’re not free from suffering. Your arms feel weird, wrong, like they’re bent strangely and heavy and your body feels like it’s being stretched out. Something suddenly pulls you from your misery, the feeling like someone tugging on your sleeve only for it to graduate to a full-on yank. You’re frightened; you’re already dead so where else is there to go? You’re yanked again, harder this time, and you can feel yourself falling up and out._

“...at.......kar.........KARKAT!” 

_Slap! Something strikes you hard across the face and you’re so startled at being able to feel it that you stop crying. _

“S0rry. If its any c0ns0lati0n, its genuinely g00d t0 see y0u again-well, see y0u in general.”

_You look up and find yourself standing-floating? In front of a rust blood who’s smiling...a little creepily. You know only one rust, though;_

“...Aradia..?”

_Your voice is so quiet, so subdued, but no matter how hard you try to dig it up you can’t find your usual energy or ire._

“Its g00d t0 see y0ur mem0ries intact! Y0u haven’t been dead that l0ng but y0u’d be surprised h0w quickly gh0sts l00se themselves.” _Her smile doesn’t fade despite her slightly cryptic words and she pulls out her fetch modus. It’s...weird. You see a large board appear with a planchette and you see the outline of a few spirits place their hands on it. They’re different from the other ghosts, a little more solid, more like you are now compared to the whispy things from before. One of the spirits looks like an adult cerulean, an amused grin on her ugly mug. You can already tell she’s up to something so you smack her hand away from the planchette and she pouts at you before looking at your shirt in shock and disappearing. Yeah, that’s right, fuck off. Aradia raises a brow at you and looks rather amused and you can’t help but blush a little in embarrassment. _

“Since y0u’re already up there, d0 y0u mind helping me? The spirits are usually very cryptic when it c0mes t0 my sylladex and while im usually m0re than happy t0 hum0r them, it w0uld make everything easier 0n b0th 0f us just t0 get t0 the p0int.” 

“Uh, yeah, sure. do I just…?” _you reach out for the planchette. _

“Can y0u grab my huskt0p please?”

_You slide the planchette around the board with two other spirits. Despite Aradia’s insistence at their penchant for being cryptic they don’t really fight you when you just start spelling out ‘husktop’. What drops from Aradia’s sylladex is possibly the oddest thing you’ve ever seen._

“who’s this douche?”

_Aradia just laughs and sits down to type away. You feel a little guilty floating over her shoulder but if she minds she keeps it to herself. _

apocalypseArisen [AA] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

AA: ive retrieved karkat 0u0

TA: 2hiit, how'2 he look?

AA: better than y0u feared

AA: he has all his all his faculties th0ugh theres n0 way hell c0me 0ut 0f this c0mpletely unscathed.

_Ouch. You mean, you already figured you were pretty fucked, you ARE dead after all, but seeing Aradia put it so plainly makes something twist in your gut._

TA: better than two not come out of iit at all…

AA: careful, s0llux, he might think y0u actually w0rry ab0ut him.

TA: waiit, 2hiit, ii2 he readiing thii2?

_Aradia laughs, her face tinged a soft maroon. It’s nice, seeing them like this. Aradia has always been good for Sollux but actually seeing them interact, it leaves a little fluttering feeling in your chest. You poignantly ignore the hint of jealousy that nips at the tail end of said fluttering feeling by tuning back into the conversation._

AA: y0u sh0uld save the ap0l0gies f0r when y0u see him in pers0n, y0u still have t0 give him his new huskt0p after all.

“Wait, Sollux is coming here?” 

_Anxiety sits heavy in your chest. On one hand, you’d get to actually see him this time but that doesn’t keep the mental image of him hovering menacingly over your hive from appearing. _

“He is. y0u’re g0ing t0 want y0ur 0wn huskt0p s0 y0u can rec0nnect with every0ne and S0llux has s0me things he needs t0 say t0 y0u.” 

_Her smile drops just a little and you’re pretty sure that’s her nice way of saying you’re just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. _

_You sulk a little and take the time waiting for Sollux to survey your surroundings._

“Wait, this isn’t my hive.”

“It is n0t, its mine. I had c0nsidered c0ntacting y0u there but I figured the sight w0uld have been t0 upsetting and it w0uld have made everything harder.”

“...And my lusus..?”

“I’m s0rry, Karkat, I’m afraid I can 0nly c0ntact the spirits 0f tr0lls.”

_Fuck, FUCK, **FUCK**. Gods, fuck, had you said anything nice to him that day? Did he have to see you get blasted or did you both go at once? Was it at least painless for him? You find yourself once again wracked with sobs as your pusher shatters for your poor lusus and you can feel yourself start to melt away. Aradia grabs your wrists in a vice-like grip and shakes you. _

“Karkat I understand its upsetting but tearing y0urself apart isn’t g0ing t0 bring him back. Y0u need t0 f0cus n0w and m0ve f0rward.” 

_You want to fight and scream and how dare she but you know, you know if anyone would understand what it’s like to lose your lusus, it’s her. _

_It takes you a minute to get a grip of yourself but luckily it’s just in time as you notice a blue and red streak heading your way. Your pusher batters at your ribcage as Sollux stops and descends a foot away from you. He doesn’t look...awful? But he definitely looks worse for wear; his bags are so deep and dark you can see them clearly under his stupid shades and his steps are a little staggered. _

“KK…”  
  
“Sollux…” 

_The two of you stare at each other for a moment, both unsure of what to say. You look to Aradia for some kind of direction but she simply shakes her head; this is between the two of you. _

“look, KK, II know you 2o ii'm goiing two 2ay thii2 now; 2hut up.”

_...What. The . FUCK. You’re dead and this fucker has the GAL! You...you actually feel a little like your old self and if the way the asshat is smirking is any indication then…_

“ii'm...ii'm 2orry, KK. and before you 2tart one of your 2tupiid rant2 about how ii 2hould be or 2ome 2hiit ii'm beiing deadly 2eriiou2 here.”

“Nice word choice.”

“dude, 2eriiou2ly, 2hut the fuck up. anyway ii know vrii2ka had a hand iin thii2 2hiit, ampora made 2ure EVERYONE knew iit but iit doe2n't change the fact that ii'm 2tiill techniically the one who kiilled you 2o, liike...ii'm 2orry, KK.”

_You...you don’t really know what to say. You’re half tempted to have that rant like he suggested but you just can’t find it in you, not when it’s obvious this entire thing has fucked Sollux up pretty hard. One thing did catch your attention, though;_

“Eridan told everyone Vriska killed me?”

“well, 2ort of. iit wa2 more liike he 2emii-publiicly threatened two 2kiin her aliive iif he 2o much a2 2aw the tiip of her 2trutpod. normally ii wouldn't put much 2tock iinto any of ampora'2 threat2 but ii heard he actually almo2t took her out whiile 2he wa2 on one of her FLARP run2; liike 2hiipwrecked diidn't even cover that 2hiit.”

“Holy shit.”

“as much as i enj0y the th0ught 0f vriska getting s0me c0meuppance i d0 believe y0u had s0mething else t0 give him.”

“riight, 2hiit. here, try not two break iit 2hiitheel.” _Sollux decapchtalogues a brand new husktop and holds it out._  
  
“So do I just…” 

_You reach out, not really sure if this is going to work considering you’re, you know, a ghost._  
  
“Oh fuck-!”

_He fake drops the husktop and you choke._

“god2, KK, would you ju2t take the dame thiing already.”

“You fucking bulgemunch!” 

_You snatch the computer out of his hands and yeah, looks like you can still interact with it._

“y0u sh0uld get in c0ntact with every0ne. d0 n0t be surprised if theyre a little...hesitant t0 believe that its y0u, th0ugh. in all h0nesty s0llux and i werent even sure we w0uld manage t0 c0ntact y0u. s0mething made c0ntacting y0u difficult s0 we didnt exactly tell any0ne in case it didnt w0rk.” 

_Sollux just shrugs nonchalant; you guess that’s fair all things considered. Why tell anyone if they weren’t going to reach him?_  
  
“feel free t0 stick ar0und if y0u w0uld like; itd pr0bably be easier since we are a ways away fr0m y0ur hive.” 

“eiither way ii'm headiing back, ii have two feed my lu2u2 before he 2tart2 doiing 2ome 2tupiid 2hiit. try not two diie agaiin, KK.”  
  
“Eat my ENTIRE ass and choke on it.”

_Sollux flips you off which you kindly return before he gives Aradia a lingering, almost wistful look that she answers with a soft smile before he’s gone again. _

“Hey, um, Aradia..?”

“yes, karkat?”

“...Thanks. For everything.”

_She gives a wide, kind of unsettling smile. _

“y0ure welc0me.”


End file.
